EHX Pico Swello- (polyphonic) Attack Envelope: bass arco sim?

[stubbsonic]

When I play electric bass on music theatre gigs, having an approximation of an arco sound can be useful. I've tried various slow-grow fx, but they usually don't work very well. The demo of the Pico Swello made me think it might work. I wouldn't expect realism, but just the ability to have that different kind of attack and then using a volume pedal for more sustain.

I think the bass in the demo is a Bass VI. Would love to hear it with 4 or 5 string bass.

Pico Swello | Attack Envelope - Electro-Harmonix

Standalone version of the POG2’s unique Attack Effect

www.ehx.com

 

[MadJack]

It sounded pretty cool.

The two sounds that stood out the most to me was the Cello sounds with the Bass VI and the lap steel sounds with the Telecaster. They may not be perfect representations, but could be handy in expanding the sonic range of a smaller band. It could allow them to play more songs that wouldn't normally be able to do, without the added sounds.

 

[eeyorebass]

I'm curious how this works differently than the Pico Attack Decay | Tape Reverse Simulator - Electro-Harmonix

 

[bholder]

I WANT ONE!

 

[bholder]

I already have the Attack / Decay though, not clear on what the differences are?

 

[stubbsonic]

The Attack/Decay has the control for gating effects, the Swello has a resonant low pass filter, and has polyphonic response-- meaning that it can apply the swell to new notes when previous notes are still sustaining (I think?)

As I understand it, the filter button steps through 3 settings, no filter, low res, and high res. You can fine-adjust and store the actual amount of resonance for both low & high res settings. The FREQ knob controls the cutoff, and MOD adjusts the filter's envelope following (both upward and downward).

 

[stubbsonic]

I wonder if you turn the attack time all the way down, will it work as a bog standard envelope filter? Or is there always some attack slowing?

 

[stubbsonic]

Listening to the demo recordings, the way that it revamps the attack portion seems like it could be very musical and useful for bass, where you want more of a washy, ambient or soft sound. I could also imagine that putting this before an octave pitch shift could make for cool blooming sound.

 

[HelpImaRock]

swell(o)))

 

[bholder]

The Attack/Decay has the control for gating effects, the Swello has a resonant low pass filter, and has polyphonic response-- meaning that it can apply the swell to new notes when previous notes are still sustaining (I think?)

As I understand it, the filter button steps through 3 settings, no filter, low res, and high res. You can fine-adjust and store the actual amount of resonance for both low & high res settings. The FREQ knob controls the cutoff, and MOD adjusts the filter's envelope following (both upward and downward).

Yeah I got out my attack decay and it still works, surprisingly. It got corroded along with a couple of my other pedals power was left on and some waste solvent leaked on them. But it still seems to work just fine and it has the same polyphonic function the only thing it's missing is the LPF, but I think I'll skip the new box, because the old one does everything I need. I could even put an LPF in the effects loop of this thing but I think I'll try the envelope phaser first.

 

[bholder]

Yeah I got out my attack decay and it still works, surprisingly. It got corroded along with a couple of my other pedals power was left on and some waste solvent leaked on them. But it still seems to work just fine and it has the same polyphonic function the only thing it's missing is the LPF, but I think I'll skip the new box, because the old one does everything I need. I could even put an LPF in the effects loop of this thing but I think I'll try the envelope phaser first.

View attachment 7323370

I discovered the envelope phaser is better after, so that it "sees" the slower attack. Though having the phase react fast and the envelope swell slow is interesting too.

 

[stubbsonic]

I discovered the envelope phaser is better after, so that it "sees" the slower attack. Though having the phase react fast and the envelope swell slow is interesting too.

The polyphonic thing is fascinating. You're describing a cool aspect of these slow attack pedals; i.e., how they play with others.

 

[bholder]

The polyphonic thing is fascinating. You're describing a cool aspect of these slow attack pedals; i.e., how they play with others.

yeah order and placement really matters with these envelope controlled stuff

 

[HolmeBass]

Yeah I got out my attack decay and it still works, surprisingly. It got corroded along with a couple of my other pedals power was left on and some waste solvent leaked on them. But it still seems to work just fine and it has the same polyphonic function the only thing it's missing is the LPF, but I think I'll skip the new box, because the old one does everything I need. I could even put an LPF in the effects loop of this thing but I think I'll try the envelope phaser first.

View attachment 7323370

The effects corroded like that is pretty damned cool looking!

 

[stubbsonic]

The effects corroded like that is pretty damned cool looking!

I thought the same thing. It's "metal" for sure (as the kids used to say).

@bholder, if you aren't careful, you'll end up with a new business "distressing" kidz pedalz so they look like they've been through a zombie apocalypse.

 

[stubbsonic]

I really wish the Swello (and the Attack/Decay) and similar pedals had a mix knob. Sometimes I want a slow, swelled attack, but I don't want start from silence. The workaround is to use a parallel routing pedal, but we shouldn't have to do that, IMHO.

 

[tubedude]

Yeah I got out my attack decay and it still works, surprisingly. It got corroded along with a couple of my other pedals power was left on and some waste solvent leaked on them. But it still seems to work just fine and it has the same polyphonic function the only thing it's missing is the LPF, but I think I'll skip the new box, because the old one does everything I need. I could even put an LPF in the effects loop of this thing but I think I'll try the envelope phaser first.

View attachment 7323370

beholder ladies and gentlemen, the inventor of relicing effects!

 

[Phagor]

I really wish the Swello (and the Attack/Decay) and similar pedals had a mix knob. Sometimes I want a slow, swelled attack, but I don't want start from silence. The workaround is to use a parallel routing pedal, but we shouldn't have to do that, IMHO.

The Attack/Decay big box and Pico have a mix knob. On the Pico it's a bit hidden - you have to hold the Poly button down. On the big box it's called blend.

I like to set a really short decay, then use the mix knob to just add a bit of extra spank to the beginning of notes. Looks like the Swello doesn't have this.

 

[bholder]

Really having fun with the Attack Decay driving the envelope phasers and other envelope gear. I can't wait to get the rest of my effects gear out of storage - I have that Autodialer which is an envelope follower that does nothing to the signal itself, but it puts out an CV / EXP signal so anything with an expression pedal input can be turned into an envelope controlled gadget! What fun! hehe will have to post some clips...

 

[stubbsonic]

I've been curious to see how much of this type of functionality I could get from the SA Atlas. Haven't sat down and dug in. Probably the big difference will be with the absence of the polyphonic thing- I know regular swell fx don't really allow for legato kinds of playing.